the origins of contemporary france-1-第6节

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Paris；　March　3；　1766；　in　a　lit　de　justice　：　〃The　sovereign　authority

is　vested　in　my　person。　　。　　。　　The　legislative　power；　without　dependence

and　without　division；　exists　in　myself　alone。　　Public　security　emanates

wholly　from　myself；　I　am　its　supreme　custodian。　　My　people　are　one　only

with　me；　national　rights　and　interests；　of　which　an　attempt　is　made　to

form　a　body　separate　from　those　of　the　monarch；　are　necessarily

combined　with　my　own；　and　rests　only　in　my　hands。〃











CHAPTER　II。　　THE　PRIVILEGED　CLASSES。



I。　　　Number　of　the　Privileged　Classes。



The　privileged　classes　number　about　270；000　persons；　comprising　of

the　nobility；　140；000　and　of　the　clergy　130；000。＇1＇　This　makes　from

25；000　to　30；000　noble　families；　23；000　monks　in　2；500　monasteries；

and　37；000　nuns　in　1；500　convents；　and　60；000　curates　and　vicars　in　as

many　churches　and　chapels。　　Should　the　reader　desire　a　more　distinct

impression　of　them；　he　may　imagine　on　each　square　league　of

territory＇2＇；　and　to　each　thousand　of　inhabitants；　one　noble　family　in

its　weathercock　mansion。　　In　each　village　there　is　a　curate　and　his

church；　and；　every　six　or　seven　leagues；　a　community　of　men　or　of

women。　　We　have　here　the　ancient　chieftains　and　founders　of　France；

thus　entitled；　they　still　enjoy　many　possessions　and　many　rights。



II。　　Their　Possessions；　Capital；　and　Revenue。



Let　us　always　keep　in　mind　what　they　were；　in　order　to　comprehend

what　they　are。　　Great　as　their　advantages　may　be；　these　are　merely　the

remains　of　still　greater　advantages。　　This　or　that　bishop　or　abbot；

this　or　that　count　or　duke；　whose　successors　make　their　bows　at

Versailles；　was　formerly　the　equals　of　the　Carlovingians　and　the　first

Capets。　　A　Sire　de　Montlhéry　held　King　Philippe　I　in　check。＇3＇　The

abbey　of　St。　　Germain　des　Prés　possessed　430；000　hectares　of　land

（about　900；000　acres）；　almost　the　extent　of　an　entire　department。　　We

need　not　be　surprised　that　they　remained　powerful；　and；　especially；

rich；　no　stability　is　greater　than　that　of　an。　　associative　body。　　After

eight　hundred　years；　in　spite　of　so　many　strokes　of　the　royal　ax；　and

the　immense　change　in　the　culture　of　society；　the　old　feudal　root

lasts　and　still　vegetates。　　We　remark　it　first　in　the　distribution　of

property。＇4＇　A　fifth　of　the　soil　belongs　to　the　crown　and　the

communes；　a　fifth　to　the　Third…Estate；　a　fifth　to　the　rural

population；　a　fifth　to　the　nobles　and　a　fifth　to　the　clergy。

Accordingly；　if　we　deduct　the　public　lands；　the　privileged　classes　own

one…half　of　the　kingdom。　　This　large　portion；　moreover；　is　at　the　same

time　the　richest；　for　it　comprises　almost　all　the　large　and　imposing

buildings；　the　palaces；　castles；　convents；　and　cathedrals；　and　almost

all　the　valuable　movable　property；　such　as　furniture；　plate；　objects

of　art；　the　accumulated　masterpieces　of　centuries。　We　can　judge　of

it　by　an　estimate　of　the　portion　belonging　to　the　clergy。　　Its

possessions；　capitalized；　amount　to　nearly　4；000；000；000　francs。＇5＇

Income　from　this　amounts　to　80　or　100　millions。　　To　this　must　be　added

the　dime　（or　tithes）；　123　millions　per　annum；　in　all　200　millions；　a

sum　which　must　be　doubled　to　show　its　equivalent　at　the　present　day。

We　must　also　add　the　chance　contributions　and　the　usual　church

collections。＇6＇　To　fully　realize　the　breadth　of　this　golden　stream　let

us　look　at　some　of　its　affluents。　　399　monks　at　Prémontré　estimate

their　revenue　at　more　than　1；000；000　livres；　and　their　capital　at

45；000；000。　　The　Provincial　of　the　Dominicans　of　Toulouse　admits；　for

his　two　hundred　and　thirty…six　monks；　〃more　than　200；000　livres　net

revenue；　not　including　the　convent　and　its　enclosure；　also；　in　the

colonies；　real　estate；　Negroes　and　other　effects；　valued　at　several

millions。〃　The　Benedictines　of　Cluny；　numbering　298；　enjoy　an　income

of　1；800；000　livres。　　Those　of　Saint…Maur；　numbering　1672；　estimate　the

movable　property　of　their　churches　and　houses　at　24；000；000；　and　their

net　revenue　at　8　millions；　〃without　including　that　which　accrues　to

Messieurs　the　abbots　and　priors　commendatory；〃　which　means　as　much　and

perhaps　more。　　Dom　Rocourt；　abbot　of　Clairvaux；　has　from　300；000　to

400；000　livres　income；　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan；　archbishop　of

Strasbourg；　more　than　1；000；000。＇7＇　In　Franche…Comté；　Alsace　and

Roussillon　the　clergy　own　one…half　of　the　territory；　in　Hainaut　and

Artois；　three…quarters；　in　Cambrésis　fourteen　hundred　plow…areas　out

of　seventeen　hundred。＇8＇　Almost　the　whole　of　Le　Velay　belongs　to　the

Bishop　of　Puy；　the　abbot　of　La　Chaise…Dieu；　the　noble　chapter　of

Brionde；　and　to　the　seigniors　of　Polignac。　　The　canons　of　St。　　Claude；

in　the　Jura；　are　the　proprietors　of　12；000　serfs　or　'mainmorts。'＇9＇　　…

Through　fortunes　of　the　first　class　we　can　imagine　those　of　the

second。　　As　along　with　the　noble　it　comprises　the　ennobled。　　As　the

magistrates　for　two　centuries；　and　the　financiers　for　one　century　had

acquired　or　purchased　nobility；　it　is　clear　that　here　are　to　be　found

almost　all　the　great　fortunes　of　France；　old　or　new；　transmitted　by

inheritance；　obtained　through　court　favors；　or　acquired　in　business。

When　a　class　reaches　the　summit　it　is　recruited　out　of　those　who　are

mounting　or　clambering　up。　　Here；　too；　there　is　colossal　wealth。　　It　has

been　calculated　that　the　possessions　of　the　princes　of　the　royal

family；　the　Comtés　of　Artois　and　of　Provence；　the　Ducs　d'Orléans　and

de　Penthiévre　then　covered　one…seventh　of　the　territory。＇10＇　The

princes　of　the　blood　have　together　a　revenue　of　from　24　to　25

millions；　the　Duc　d'Orléans　alone　has　a　rental　of　11；500；000。＇11＇　

These　are　the　vestiges　of　the　feudal　régime。　　Similar　vestiges　are

found　in　England；　in　Austria；　in　Germany　and　in　Russia。

Proprietorship；　indeed；　survives　a　long　time　survives　the

circumstances　on　which　it　is　founded。　　Sovereignty　had　constituted

property；　divorced　from　sovereignty　it　has　remained　in　the　hands

formerly　sovereign。　　In　the　bishop；　the　abbot　and　the　count；　the　king

respected　the　proprietor　while　overthrowing　the　rival；　and；　in　the

existing　proprietor　a　hundred　traits　still　indicate　the　annihilated　or

modified　sovereign。



III。　　Their　Immunities。



Such　is　the　total　or　partial　exemption　from　taxation。　　The　tax…

collectors　halt　in　their　presence　because　the　king　well　knows　that

feudal　property　has　the　same　origin　as　his　own；　if　royalty　is　one

privilege　seigniory　is　another；　the　king　himself　is　simply　the　most

privileged　among　the　privileged。　　The　most　absolute；　the　most

infatuated　with　his　rights；　Louis　XIV；　entertained　scruples　when

extreme　necessity　compelled　him　to　enforce　on　everybody　the　tax　of　the

tenth。＇12＇　Treaties；　precedents；　immemorial　custom；　reminiscences　of

ancient　rights　again　restrain　the　fiscal　hand。　　The　clearer　the

resemblance　of　the　proprietor　to　the　ancient　　independent　sovereign

the　greater　his　immunity。　　…　In　some　places　a　recent　treaty　guarantees

him　by　his　position　as　a　stranger；　by　his　almost　royal　extraction。　　〃In

Alsace　foreign　princes　in　possession；　with　the　Teutonic　order　and　the

order　of　Malta；　enjoy　exemption　from　all　real　and　personal

contributions。〃　〃In　Lorraine　the　chapter　of　Remiremont　has　the

privilege　of　assessing　itself　in　all　state　impositions。〃＇13＇　Elsewhere

he　is　protected　by　the　maintenance　of　the　provincial　Assemblies；　and

through　the　incorporation　of　the　nobility　with　the　soil：　in　Languedoc

and　in　Brittany　the　commoners　alone　paid　the　taille＇14＇　…Everywhere

else　his　quality　preserved　him　from　it；　him；　his　chateau　and　the

chateau's　dependencies；　the　taille　reaches　him　only　through　his

farmers。　　And　better　still；　it　is　sufficient　that　he　himself　should

work；　or　his　steward；　to　communicate　to　the　land　his　original

independence。　　As　soon　as　he　touches　the　soil；　either　personally　or

through　his　agent；　he　exempts　four　plowing…areas　（quatre　charrues）；

three　hundred　arpents；＇15＇　which　in　other　hands　would　pay　2；000　francs

tax。　　Besides　this　he　is　excempt　on　〃the　woods；　the　meadows；　the　vines；

the　ponds　and　the　enclosed　land　belonging　to　the　chateau；　of　whatever

extent　it　may　be。〃　Consequently；　in　Limousin　and　elsewhere；　in　regions

principally　devoted　to　pasturage　or　to　vineyards；　he　takes　care　to

manage　himself；　or　to　have　managed；　a　certain　portion　of　his　domain；

in　this　way　he　exempts　it　from　the　tax　collector。＇16＇　There　is　yet

more。　　In　Alsace；　through　an　express　covenant　he　does　not　pay　a　cent　of

tax。　　Thus；　after　the　assaults　of　four　hundred　and　fifty　years；

taxation；　the　first　of　fiscal　instrumentalities；　the　most　burdensome

of　all；　leaves　feudal　property　almost　intact。＇17＇　　For　the　last

century；　two　new　tools；　the　capitation…tax　and　the　vingtièmes；　appear

more　effective；　and　yet　are　but　little　more　so。　　…　First　of　all；

through　a　masterstroke　of　ecclesiastical　diplomacy；　the　clergy　diverts

or　weakens　the　blow。　　As　it　is　an　organization；　holding　assemblies；　it

is　able　to　negotiate　with　the　king　and　buy　itse